Gatcha is – Nowadays, there are various styles of games available that are suitable for everyone, be it through smartphones , game consoles , to PC games . In fact, these various types of games can entertain someone for hours.
Thanks to the existence of mobile games, one or several types of games that were not popular before, now have a large fan base and become popular games . One of the means that makes this possible is through the gacha system.
However, what is gacha and how can it make games even more popular?
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What is Gacha?
In general and basically, gacha or gachapon is the term used for toy machines in Japan. This machine is considered interesting because it provides various toy products randomly in small capsules and we will not know what items will be obtained.
In gacha , the most interesting thing is opening the capsules which will show what kind of toys we managed to pick up/buy with coins.
Subsequently, gacha became a monetization technique used in many Japanese games that eventually became successful. This technique is used for systems that will issue a random selection of data, characters, heroes, and so on.
With real money or in- game money , we can buy random items or characters. This is certainly similar to the initial concept in the gacha capsule machine sold in Japan.
Gatchas in Real Life
In real life, the term gacha is also often used and is mushrooming in relation to something that is obtained randomly or randomly. For example, buying a new cellphone in a gacha way, applying for a job in a gacha way , and so on.
Thus, gacha is also interpreted as something that is uncertain, random, and sometimes not according to our wishes.
Gatchas in Games
In games, gacha, especially gacha games, are games that feature this concept as one of its main features.
This type of video game encourages players to spend in-game currency for the virtual items they will get. As for gacha games, it is the mechanism that determines the items to be obtained such as characters or cards, similar to a vending machine.
This type of game was first called a gacha game in the 2010s, when they first became popular in Japan. As this phenomenon began to develop, similar games were called gashapon or gachapon, after the popular toy machines circulating throughout the country.
Gradually, the term coined the name of the now super popular gacha game , especially in Japan and Asian countries where a large number of top-selling games use various gacha strategies to increase profits.
One example of a popular and newest gacha game is Fire Emblem Heroes and Genshin Impact .
Application of Gatcha
The gacha system was once known as an automatic capsule box game which was very fun to play. The machine is also commonly found in shopping centers. Everyone who wanted to play had to buy coins and put them in the machine first. If he is lucky, then he can get a fun gift randomly.
Gacha has a system similar to a spinning wheel or lucky draw in practice. So, of course there is no certainty that you will get something meaningful, even if it’s only a 0.01 percent chance.
However, it has always been interesting to play gacha for game lovers since this system has finally been adapted to online games .
Gatcha Psychology Mechanisms and Tricks
There are similarities between gacha games and Collectible Card Game or CCG. The reason is, the items we can get have a direct effect on how we play. Thus, many players are willing to spend a lot of money to perfect their collection and get the best gacha.
Even so, gacha is not completely like CCG because we can’t buy individual items at all. In CCG, Sinaumed’s can purchase one rare card from a fellow collector.
The “spin” protest in gacha games is also similar to the designation of opening a loot box in Western titles. However, loot boxes are often not the main offering in the game. In fact, the results of the loot boxes themselves often don’t affect gameplay at all. For example, only contain costume items or animations for entertainment purposes only.
Gacha game mechanics can vary widely because this monetization system can be applied to all types of games. For example, one suitable puzzle game is Puzzles and Dragons . For role-playing games , there is Final Fantasy Brave Exvius .
Psychology Tricks
Almost all gacha games can be played for free. That way, basically, we can play the game without spending any money at all. Even so, of course the developers design the game so that the players are encouraged to use their money in the game , one of which is with gacha .
They use psychological tricks to encourage players to in-game purchases , one of which is using in-game currency. For example, like UC Cash in PUBG Mobile or diamonds in Mobile Legends . This trick is usually not only used by gacha game developers, but developers of other free-to-play games .
When playing an MMORPG game, our character doesn’t have many chances to make a critical hit, or at least, the possibility is quite random. Even so, we don’t have to spend money to make the characters continue to do it. However, we have to buy items with in- game currency , such as orbs , gems , bucks , or other currency in gacha games .
Basically, what we buy is the opportunity to get the item or character, not the item itself.
The rarer an item or character, generally the lower the chance to get it. In fact, the chance to get an SSR character in a gacha game may be less than 1 percent. So, don’t be surprised if there are players who spend up to tens of millions to get the character they want.
The use of in-game currency has its own purpose for the developers, namely so that the players don’t realize how much money they spent on targeting their favorite items or characters.
The trick of using substitute currency is also used in the world of casinos, to be precise by the casino management. So, we don’t bet with cash, but with chips .
Management’s reasons are the same as game developers’ reasons , namely to make the players not realize how much money they have spent.
More broadly and generally, this is supported by research which states that consumers often spend more money when using a debit card than when using cash.
Attractiveness
When we get rare items or characters in gacha games, our brains will release the hormone dopamine, also known as the happiness hormone. Not only that, this hormone is even released when we are anticipating the item to be obtained, namely when opening a gacha .
There is a concept called intermittent rewards in psychology. The concept underlies that we can form someone’s habits by giving gifts when the person does what we want. Only, the prizes we give have random intervals.
For example, gacha game developers want players to spend money on games . They will give prizes in the form of rare items randomly to the player. This is the point, giving gifts randomly will actually make the player’s brain happier.
Indeed, the certainty of items or characters that will be obtained can make the brain release dopamine. However, that doesn’t stop feeling disappointed when we don’t get the item we want. Quoting Hybrid.co , this feeling of disappointment can encourage gacha game players to spend more money to get the items they want.
The reason is, almost every premium game has a clear ending, that is, the game ends after we have done all the tasks that need to be done. This is different from gacha games because usually these games don’t have a clear ending.
Developers of this game will generally release updates regularly, including adding content in the form of new items or characters. that way, the players are always threatened with feelings of FOMO aka Fear of Missing Out . Moreover, this is also exacerbated by the presence of social media.
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Problems Arise
It’s so random to get something in the gacha game system that it often encourages players to spend money. This is one of the most addictive types of microtransactions.
Some in the industry even refer to this as a form of gambling without payment of money. The most dedicated players will spend any amount of their money in a short amount of time trying to get the best.
Another thing to worry about is that there aren’t too many obstacles to enter the world of this gacha game . Most of them are indeed mobile games so even kids can play them easily and buy gacha without their parents knowing.
In fact, some developers have been accused of misrepresenting the possibility that players will get whatever they want on purpose. There has also been criticism for these games’ display designs that encourage players to buy lots of gacha in a row.
The “ complete gacha ” system was banned in Japan in 2012, following several viral cases involving minors spending thousands of dollars on it. Complete gacha itself is a monetization scheme in which players can obtain rare items by purchasing a large set of other common items first.
This of course invites a large number of players to do gacha many times.
Not only Japan, other countries also implement laws that protect players from this practice. For example, in Europe, games with random items that will eventually cost money must now disclose their current collection drop rate.
Popularity and Safety of Gatcha for Kids
The happiness we feel when we anticipate the items we get and when we open the gacha is comparable to when we are about to open a gift box or turn over a card while playing. As befits an automatic gacha machine, there is an atmosphere full of mystery and surprises at the end.
The emotions that were present at that time, coupled with gameplay elements such as fantasy, adventure, and so on, can sell many gacha game titles and are entertaining for the players. This is what makes gacha games popular and popular.
What are the most popular gacha games?
The concept of gacha is present in many popular games in Indonesia, even globally. We may have played it without realizing the gacha concept that the game’s developers used.
For example, the popular game Genshin Impact , which is a role playing game , is also a gacha game . The anime-style game grossed over USD 3 billion in its first year of release, the first-ever revenue for a game .
Furthermore, there is also the game Fate/Grand Order which is a turn-based fighting game. It was the sixth best-selling mobile game of 2017 and is still popular today, generating over USD 86 million in monthly revenue.
Responding to its popularity, of course many young people, even minors, are tempted to play this kind of game too. For parents, here are tips on controlling children when playing gacha games:
Set Game Playing Time Limits
In order for children to balance their time between real life and playing online games, it is important to set boundaries as key. At best, video games are enjoyed at moderate intensity, not too little or too much. This is of course the same principle as anything else in life.
Set time limits on certain games or let the children decide how to spend the time playing the video games you have set. Indeed, this can become complicated when children grow older and their cellphones are carried everywhere to support their activities.
Therefore, you can also use a timer tool that can help parents control their children to set a time limit for each application or application category. That way, the use of games in children will remain consistent on a daily basis, even if the parents are not monitoring.
Disable In-Game Purchases
The next thing that can be done is to ensure that children do not have access or the opportunity to be tempted by purchases in gacha games. This is because the purchase feature can be turned off in the settings on cellphones and consoles.
It is also recommended not to store the parent’s card number on any device (your own or a child’s) so that billing information cannot be used by anyone.
Play with Children
It’s good to get to know and play games downloaded by children together. Parents can buy the same game after knowing that their child is playing the game. Not only is it an opportunity to understand risky elements or gameplay , this method can also help establish bonds that are not too serious with children.
The reason is, being involved with something that children like can make parents understand their interests better, as well as spend quality time with family.
Conclusion
Apparently, gacha is not just a random-based game that allows us to get things without knowing it. There are also distinct psychological mechanics and tricks used, even with the gacha game’s similarities to the casino and terms referring to other uncertainties!
Dear Parents: Gamers Can Succeed Too
Thus the review about gacha . if Sinaumed’s is interested in developing games or becoming a quality gamer , there’s nothing wrong with you also reading recommended books related to game development and e-sport available at sinaumedia.com so you have #MoreWithReading information.
Author: Sevilla Nouval Evanda
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